Combining elements of sculpture, assemblage, painting and architecture, the work of Sydney-based artist James Powditch is heavily influenced by cinema, history, environmental issues and politics. The artist’s background in set and props building for the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Dance Company, along with a lifetime passion for scavenging and collecting unusual objects and pieces, have resulted in a unique aesthetic and vision. At a distance the works read as bold, graphic pop influenced images, while on closer inspection they are obsessively detailed, multilayered and textured, comprising of a myriad of found objects and the detritus of our urban surrounds, popular culture and political fallout.

James Powditch has been a frequent finalist in the Moran, Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, with his self-portrait selected as a finalist in the 2018 Archibald Prize and his portrait of fellow artist Ben Quilty a finalist in the 2013 Moran National Portrait Prize. The artist is also a past winner of the Mosman Art Prize and the Blake Prize for Religious Art. His work is held in notable public collections including Artbank, Mosman Art Gallery, Tweed River Art Gallery and Ballarat Regional Art Gallery.

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